Electric iron



June 12, 1956 cs. A. BRACE 2,749,632

ELECTRIC IRON Filed Aug. 27. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. George A. Brace ATTORNEY.

June 12, 1956 G, A, BRACE 2,749,632

ELECTRIC IRON Filed Aug. 27, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

1i 2 George A. Brace 9 mq www ATTORNEY.

United States Patent ELECTRIC IRON George A. Brace, Highland Park, 111., assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 27, 1952, Serial No. 306,627

9 Claims. (Cl. 38- 77) This invention relates to steam sad irons and more particularly to a steam iron of the flash boiler type which is readily convertible to either steam or dry iron operation.

The invention is concerned primarily with an unusually compact, simple and low cost construction so arranged as to be fool proof in operation and yet one in which full advantage is taken of the maximum capacity of the water reservoir and wherein full advantage 'is taken of the space confined by the cover shell to house the reservoir. This will become more fully apparent from a resume of the problems encountered by both the designer and user of such irons made according to prior proposals.

Thus, for reasons of both manufacturing economy and etficiency of operation it has been found desirable to employ a sole plate having an embedded U-shaped electric heater having its nexus or bight portion at the toe of the plate and with the cavity for the flash boiler formed in the plate between the legs of the heater and as close to the bight as feasible. The same considerations favor a water reservoir of maximum water capacity designed to be concealed by the cover shell for the sole plate and which can be filled to its full capacity while the iron is supported in up-ended position and without danger of the water flowing into the flash boiler chamber even though the operator may have left the water control valve open through inadvertence. For obvious reasons of economy, it is desirable to make the tank from two identical cupshaped metal stampings having their rims joined together and having aligned openings in the lower one of which the valve seat fitting is secured and in the other of which the combined valve control mechanism and water filling device is secured. The latter device extends upwardly from the reservoir and is concealed within a cavity of the front handle leg so that the water filling inlet opens in a generally vertical plane at the forward face of the handle leg. A novel steam iron designed with the foregoing considerations in mind is disclosed in the pending application for United States Letters Patent of John E. Vance, Serial No. 295,950, filed on June 27, 1952, now Patent No, 2,668,378, dated February 9, 1954. However, the construction disclosed therein is subject to certain limitations and possibilities of undesirable operation which are effectively obviated in a novel and inexpensive manner by the present invention.

According to one embodiment of the aforementioned application the full capacity of the water reservoir is not utilized for fear the operator will accidentally leave the water valve open when filling and while the heating element is de-energized. This would result in water flowing into the steam generator and then escaping through the steam ports as soon as the iron is placed in ironing position. This objectionable result is avoided by so designing the iron that the tank cannot be filled to its maximum capacity. A second embodiment of that application incorporates an air venting means novel with the present applicant permitting the tank to be filled to capacity and relying upon a capillary water exit passage of such size that the small water head acting on it will not permit ob- 2,749,632 Patented June 12, 1956 jectional water flow should the valve be open. This restricted orifice is not fully reliable and imposes limitations on the rate of water flow to the steam generator during the normal use of the iron and particularly when the water level in the reservoir becomes low.

The foregoing and other disadvantages of prior constructions are overcome in an effective and facile manner by the present invention in which an auspiciously positioned air vent serves to bleed air from the foremost end of the reservoir while water flows in an unimpeded manner through the main filling opening. The arrangement allows the reservoir to be completely filled while the iron is up-ended except for an amount equalling or slightly exceeding the water contained in the filling device. As a consequence, the water held by the filling device flows in toto to the reservoir immediately that the iron is lowered to its normal ironing position. Moreover, the vent allows the air to escape without gurgling through the water entering the main filling opening thereby speeding the filling of the tank and avoiding the spillage of water which would otherwise occur.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of means immediately below the valve seat which prevents the escape of water into the boiler even though the valve be left open and even though the water level is appreciably above the valve seat while the iron is being filled or while it remains up-ended in its rest position. Moreover, this means is not dependent on the use of a restrictive exit passage through the valve fitting nor does it involve the use of complex, costly and troublesome float or gravity actuated stop valves as in constructions heretofore proposed.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a new steam iron featuring a simple, low cost design in which the water reservoir can be filled to its maximum capacity quickly, with certainty and without entailing the spillage of water due to the air escaping from the reservoir.

Still another object is the provision of a unique steam iron construction which can be filled to its full water capacity while the iron is upended in a stable rest position without danger of any water escaping to the flash boiler even though the water control valve he accidentally left in its open position.

A further object is the provision of a steam iron having a single strategically positioned opening which serves during the filling of the reservoir as a vent permitting the reservoir to be filled speedily and to its maximum capacity and which further serves as a drainage exit for the last vestige of water after the ironing operation has been completed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the iron of the present invention resting on its heel end and with the forward part thereof broken away to show the details of constmction; and

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form of the means for preventing water from escaping to the flash boiler even though the valve is in its open position.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 represents a sole plate, preferably of cast aluminum, having a U-shaped electric heater 11 embedded therein with its nexus adjacent the toe of the sole plate and its legs extending rearwardly adjacent the side edges of the sole plate.

Slightly to the rear of the nexus of the heating element 11, the upper surface of the sole plate 10 is formed with a flash boiler or steam generating chamber 12 which is closed by a cover plate 13 secured to the sole plate by a plurality of screws, one of which is shown at 14. Steam emitting openings, not shown, are formed through the sole plate and are in communication with the flash boiler 12 by way of steam superheating and distributing passages formed in the sole plate 10 and in the cover plate 13 as more fully disclosed in the Vance application above referred to.

Overlying the sole plate and spaced therefrom is a water reservoir generally indicated by the reference numeral 15. As disclosed in detail in the above identified Vance application, this reservoir is most economically formed from two identical cup-shaped stampings joined at their abutting rims and having aligned water inlet and outlet openings at the forward end as will be explained more fully presently. The reservoir and cover shell may be secured to the sole plate in any suitable manner as, for example, in the manner disclosed in the above-mentioned Vance application. A manipulating handle 17, having a front leg 18 and a rear leg 19 is secured to the cover shell 16 in any suitable manner.

Extension 20 on the rear corner of the handle cooperates with the broad rear end 21 of the cover shell to support the iron in an up-ended rest position in the customary manner as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

The temperature of the sole plate may be held at a selected temperature level by an adjustable thermostatic switch conveniently controlled by a dial 22. The control dial covers that portion of the cover shell 16 not covered by the handle legs 18 and 19 and serves as a heat barrier between the handle grip and the hot cover shell. The underside of the projecting rear end 21 of the cover shell is closed by a closure plate 23 which is removable to provide access to the electrical connections extending downwardly into the cover shell from a service cord opening (not shown) in rear handle leg 19.

Reservoir extends from closely adjacent the front end of the cover shell to the rear of the sole plate and follows generally the contour of the sole plate being wider at the rear than at the front end. It is made of duplicate upper and lower stampings 24 and 25 which may be welded or brazed together at their mating rims or secured together by a lock seam joint as shown. Preferably the reservoir is separated from closure plate 13 of the flash boiler by an insulating layer of air.

At their forward ends the upper and lower stampings 24 and 25 are provided with identical aligned openings formed as the stampings are made. An internally threaded fitting 26 is staked into the lower opening as shown at 27 and supports the novel valve body 28 having multiple functions and forming one of the features of the invention. As will be readily apparent from the drawings, valve body 28 is provided with a series of merging bores including a conical valve seat portion 29 and an outlet orifice 30 the discharge end of which is surrounded by a flange 32. The exterior mid-portion of the valve body has a semi-spherical surface 31 which mates with and seats firmly on an asbestos gasket 36 and semi-spherical seat 35 formed about the rim of an opening in a resilient stainless steel disk 33 having very poor heat conducting properties. This disk is staked at 34 to closure plate 13 for the flash boiler. The poor heat conducting plate 33 cooperates with the semi-spherical surface 31 of the valve body to form a resilient pressure joint to seal off communication between the boiler 12 and the interior of cover shell 16. The water outlet orifice 30 is of suflicient size to meter the flow of water to the flash boiler and to provide a flow such that the steam immediately generated therefrom is the optimum quantity for the ironing of fabrics. Should a greater or lesser quantity be desired for particular or infrequently encountered fabrics, the operator merely speeds up or slows down the movement of the iron to achieve the desired steam concentration. This mode of control has been found from experience to be simpler and far more reliable and convenient than an adjustable water flow control mechanism. The purpose of flange 32 surrounding the outlet orifice will be better understood following a description of the water filling facility and the water level prevailing when the reservoir is filled to capacity as it is at the beginning of an ironing operation.

The combined filling facility and support for the valve control mechanism comprises a unitary casting generally indicated by reference numeral 37 and is staked into the opening in the upper stamping 24 as shown at 38. A vertically extending bore 42 opens into the water reservoir while its upper end is reduced to form a bearing for the valve stem as will be explained presently. Communicating with bore 42 intermediate its ends is a rectangularly shaped passage 43 which opens through the front face of extension 40 and forms the water inlet or fill opening for the reservoir. Riser tube 37 is preferably made of cast aluminum and a core opening in its rear wall is closed by staked in plate 44.

The water flow control means comprises a valve stem 45 which extends downwardly through fill tube 37 and reservoir 15. The lower end of the stem is provided with a valve 46 which cooperates with valve seat 29 to close the outlet orifice 30 when the stem is moved downwardly and to permit an unobstructed flow when it is moved upwardly to its only other stable position. The valve stem is also provided with an extension 47 which serves to clear away deposits which may collect in outlet orifice 30 while the valve is open, it being understood that the extension projects beyond the orifice when the valve is closed and that it is positioned appreciably above the orifice, as shown,'when the valve is open.

Stern 45 extends upwardly through an opening 48 in the top of fill tube 37 and is guided for vertical reciprocation by a felt washer 49 which also forms a seal to prevent leakage of water through the opening '48 during the filling operation. A bracket 50 secured to the top of the fill tube 37 by screws, as shown, has a depressed portion 51 which holds the gasket 49 in position. This bracket includes a pair of vertically extending parallel legs 52 supporting a pair of pivot pins 53 for a valve actuator 54 having slots 55 for receiving the pins 53. Actuator 54 has a knurled thumb piece 56 accessible through an opening 57 in the top wall of the handle front leg 18. An overcenter spring 58 has its lower end hooked to the rear edge of bracket 50 and its upper end hooked over a pin 59 carried by the actuator. In the position shown, the valve is open and the spring 58 is in substantially a dead center position with respect to pivot pins 53. Preferably, the actuator is held securely in open position by indentations in resilient legs 52 which seat in openings 59' on the opposite sides of the actuator. The actuator 54 is connected to the top end of the valve stem 45 by a pin and slot connection 60. When the actuator is moved clockwise from the position shown, spring 58 snaps the valve stem downwardly and seats the valve 46 firmly against its seat 29 and holds it in that position until the valve is manually reopened.

From the foregoing description it will be readily appreciated that the reservoir can be conveniently filled through passages 43 and 42 while the iron is supported in the up-ended rest position illustrated. However, the maximum possible water level in the reservoir is that defined by a horizontal plane passing through the junction of passages 42 and 43. Thus, an appreciable portion of the reservoir capacity remains unavailable.

This undesirable result can be circumvented in a simple and etficacious manner according to the present invention by providing an air vent opening 62 between the nose of'the reservoir and an upper portion of filling passage 43. This opening may be formed before riser 37 is assembled to the tank but is preferably done in a single operation immediately following the staking of the riser to the top half of the reservoir and before the two tank halves are joined together. As will be obvious, the presanaeaa ence of the vent permits the water level in the reservoir to rise to the line AA at which the capacity of the unfilled nose portion of the reservoir closely approximates the capacity of passages 42 and 43. As a result, the water in these passages flows into the tank as soon as the iron is lowered to its ironing position leaving the tank filled to its maximum and the riser tube passages substantially free of water.

The beneficial results of this construction include others which are less obvious. For example, air vent 62 permits the air to escape from the tank during filling and permits the water to flow into the tank through passage 42 unimpeded by the escaping air. Except for vent 62 the air would have to escape through the incoming Water giving a false indication that the tank was full and causing the water to overflow from the sides of the filling opening. Furthermore, the presence of the vent makes it feasible to employ a smaller inlet passage 42 thereby rendering the use of baflles or a closure for the inlet to passage 43 unnecessary to prevent the escape of water through passages 42 and 43 as the movement of the iron is reversed in use.

Referring now to the water valve, it will be noted that water level line AA is considerably above valve seat 29 and outlet orifice 30. Should the user fill the iron before taking the precaution of closing the valve, water will flow into boiler 12 and escape through the steam passages and ports onto the material being ironed. This undesirable circumstance is effectively circumvented with the present construction by means of the cupped fitting 70 which has a tight frictionalfit over annular flange 32 on valve body 28. This fitting is provided with an exit opening 71 on its forward side which is slightly above maximum water level line AA as clearly shown in Figure 1. The few drops of water held by this fitting may wet the surface of the steam passages when the iron is tipped into ironing position but will not be suflicient to overflow from the steam ports. Since in normal practice the housewife does not move the iron from the rest to the ironing position until the sole plate is hot and ready for use, the simple fitting 70 provides a positive and highly effective safeguard against the overflow of water even though she has forgotten to close the water valve before refilling the reservoir as frequently occurs through inadvertence.

Operation When it is desired to fill the reservoir the iron is turned backwardly on its heel rest formed by rear end 21 of the cover shell and rear end 20 of the handle thereby bringing the water inlet passage 43 into a convenient position for filling. As the water is poured from a suitable receptacle into passage 43, it flows into the reservoir through bore 42. As it does so, the air escapes through vent 62 and the top side of passage 43 without interfering in the slightest degree with the counter-flowing stream of water even though this stream completely fills bore 42. Moreover, this unimpeded flow of water continues until the water reaches its maximum possible level along line AA. Since the exit opening 71 in fitting 70 on the valve housing is slightly above this level, no water can escape into the flash boiler even though the operator has failed to take the precaution of closing valve 46.

Since the capacity of the unfilled nose portion of the reservoir is approximately the same as that of passages 42 and 43, the water flooding these passages at the conclusion of the filling operation flows into the reservoir as soon as the iron is lowered to its ironing position. Thus the operator may resume ironing with a completely filled reservoir and without the likelihood of water escaping through the filling opening despite the absence of a closure for the filling opening or of baffles in passages 42 and 43 to deflect the water.

After the sole plate becomes hot the operator may resume ironing with or without steam as she elects merely by closing or opening the water control valve. When the valve is open, a metered flow of water passes through orifice 30 and opening 71 of fitting into the flash boiler where it is instantaneously converted into steam and escapes through the steam ports into the material being ironed. When steam is no longer desired, the water valve is closed by the forward movement of actuator 54 and is held in this position by spring 58.

Usually, operators prefer to store the iron without water in the reservoir. Complete emptying of the reservoir is accomplished expeditously merely by taking the iron to the sink and turning it bottom side up with the toe of the sole plate at a lower elevation than the heel. The residue water then quickly escapes through the filling opening by way of passages 42, 43 and air vent 62. In this connection note that vent 62 serves to drain Water which would otherwise remain trapped in the iron but which would eventually escape through the open valve and steam ports in the place of storage.

The second embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 2 is identical with the first except for the means for preventing over-flow of water to the boiler should the valve be open. Thus, fitting 70 of the first embodiment is eliminated by forming flange 32' in the manner shown and so that the outlet or discharge opening is slightly above the water level line AA. This expedient avoids the necessity for the separate fitting 70 disclosed in the first embodiment.

While I have shown and described but two modifications of my invention it is to be understood these are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a steam iron comprising, a sole plate having a toe and a heel at the opposite ends thereof,a heating element embedded in said sole plate, a cover shell overlying said sole plate and enclosing a water reservoir, an operating handle having a hollow front supporting leg secured to the upper side of said cover shell, said water reservoir having aligned openings through the top and bottom walls thereof underlying said hollow front leg, a steam generating chamber in said sole plate underlying said aligned openings, a filling riser tube secured to the top opening in said reservoir and projecting upwardly into said hollow handle leg and having an open ended filling passage extending through the forward wall of said front leg and into said reservoir so that said reservoir can be filled therethrough when said iron is upended onto its heel, a water control valve means having a control knob accessible at the top end of said hollow handle leg and having a valve seat in a fitting supported in the lowermost one of said aligned reservoir openings, the foremost end of said water reservoir projecting forwardly of said filling.

riser, and an air vent passage extending through the top wall of said reservoir forwardly of said aligned openings and opening into the filling passage in said riser tube, said air vent passage permitting the air in the reservoir to escape during the filling thereof and permitting the water level to rise to a point substantially above the valve seat of said water control means and substantially above the top edge of the discharge end of said filling passage where it enters said reservoir whereby the reservoir can be filled to capacity even through said riser tube is connected to the reservoir rearward of its forward end.

2. In combination, a steam iron comprising, a sole plate having a toe and a heel at the opposite ends thereof, a heating element for said sole plate, a steam generating chamber formed in the toe of said sole plate, a cover shell for said sole plate enclosing a water reservoir, an operating handle having a rear supporting leg and a hollow front supporting leg, the rear ends of said cover shell and said handle cooperating to form a supporting rest for said iron with said sole plate inclined slightly rearwardly of a vertical plane when the iron is resting on its heel end, an L-shaped riser tube having one end secured to an opening in the top forward wall of said reservoir in alignment with said hollow front handle leg and being housed therein, the other leg of said riser tube opening forwardly through the front face of said front leg and forming a water filling opening for said reservoir when the iron is supported in an upended position on said rest, the bottom wall of said reservoir having an opening in alignment with said riser and having means forming a water supply connection to said steam generator, control means for controlling the flow of water from said reservoir to said generator including a valve located in said water supply connection and a manual control therefor extending upwardly through said riser tube and terminating at the upper end of said front handle leg, and an air vent opening extending through the forward end of said reservoir and into the forward interior portion of said riser tube for venting air from said reservoir as the same is being filled with water and limiting the level to which said reservoir can be filled to an unfilled capacity approximating the capacity of said riser tube whereby any water contained in said riser tube after said reservoir is filled to the maximum level flows into the reservoir as the iron is lowered to its normal ironing position.

3. In a steam iron, a sole plate having toe and heel ends, heating means for said sole plate, a steam generating chamber formed in the top surface of said sole plate adjacent its front end, a water reservoir overlying said sole plate, aligned openings formed in the top and bottom walls of said reservoir above said generating chamber, a cover shell overlying said sole plate and enclosing said reservoir, said cover shell having an extension projecting rearwardly of the heel end of said sole plate, a manipulating handle having front and rear legs secured to said cover shell, the rear end of the rear leg in cooperation with the rearward extension of said cover shell forming a supporting heel rest upon which the iron may be supported when up-ended thereonto, an upwardly extending cavity in said front leg overlying said aligned openings in said reservoir and including apertures extending through the front and top walls of said front leg, a fill tube secured in the opening in the top wall of said reservoir and having an outlet communicating with the interior of said reservoir, said fill tube extending upwardly into the cavity in said front leg and having an extension projecting through the opening in the front wall thereof, a forwardly facing opening formed in said extension through which said reservoir may be filled when the iron is supported in an upended position on said rest, a valve body secured in the opening in the bottom wall of said reservoir and having a metered orifice leading to said generating chamber, a valve for closing said orifice and having a stem extending upwardly through said fill tube, a valve actuator connected to said stem and accessible through the top opening in said front leg, and an air vent passage between the forward end of said reservoir and communicating with the interior of said fill tube forwardly of said outlet opening.

4. A steam iron according to claim 3 in which, with the iron resting on said heel rest, said vent opening is so positioned relative to the forward facing opening of said fill tube and the orifice in said valve body that the water in said reservoir can rise to a level substantially above said orifice during the filling of said reservoir.

5. A steam iron according to claim 4 including means on said valve body at the discharge end of said metered orifice for preventing water flowing through said orifice and into said steam generating chamber when said iron is up-ended and said reservoir is filled to its maximum level.

6. A steam iron according to claim 5 in which said means on said valve body includes a hollow extension having one end in communication with said orifice and a discharge end positioned above the maximum water level in said reservoir when said iron is supported in up-ended position.

7. A steam iron of the type comprising a sole plate provided with a steam generator, a cover shell, a water reservoir concealed by said shell and having a valve controlled passage discharging into said steam generator, an operating handle for said iron secured thereto and overlying said cover shell, means at the rear of said iron for supporting the same in an up-ended rest position, of means for filling said reservoir with water when said iron is supported in its up-ended position, said means including an upwardly opening filling passage communicating with the forward end of said reservoir through a lower relatively large area Water flow passage and an upper relatively small area air venting passage whereby water supplied through the filling opening flows into said reservoir through said large area passage as air escapes therefrom to the atmosphere through said small area passage and whereby said reservoir may be filled to a level appreciably above the upper edge of said large area passage.

8. A steam iron as defined in claim 7 wherein the valve in said valve controlled passage discharging into said steam generator is located below the maximum water level in said reservoir when said iron is supported in up-ended position and wherein the discharge end of said last named passage is located above said maximum water level whereby water cannot escape into said steam generator even though said valve is in open position.

9. A steam iron of the type comprising a sole plate provided with a steam generator, a cover shell for said sole plate, a water reservoir concealed by said cover shell and having a valve controlled passage discharging into said steam generator, a handle secured to and overlying said cover shell and cooperating therewith to support said iron in an up-ended position on its rear end, of means for filling said reservoir with water when the same is supported in said up-ended position to a maximum level above the valve in said valve controlled passage, said passage having its discharge end opening into said steam generator at a level above the maximum level to which said reservoir can be filled when in said up-ended position whereby water cannot flow into the steam generator even though said valve is in open position and whereby water can flow freely to the generator as soon as the iron is pivoted from its up-ended position to its normal ironing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 21,632 Jones Nov. 26, 1940 2,295,341 Finlayson Sept. 8, 1942 2,311,164 Ekstedt Feb. 16, 1943 2,322,593 Riddington et al. June 22, 1943 2,432,205 Morton Dec. 9, 1947 2,587,608 Finlayson Mar. 4, 1952 2,642,027 Kircher June 16, 1953 2,663,100 Bricker Dec. 22, 1953 2,668,378 Vance Feb. 9, 1954 

